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Spring Lake breaks through in Div. 3

Michigan
Published 8:39 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2014

Claire Kalina, 17, of Novi center, played in the Division 1 state finals this weekend.
(Photo: Detroit Free Press)

EAST LANSING – It was 35 years in the making, but Spring Lake got its first golf state title ever by overtaking Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood and forcing the Cranes to settle for a third consecutive runner-up finish.

“It took 35 years to get there. I’m the only coach we’ve had for golf,” said an emotional George Bitner. “Trailing helped because they had to try and defend first place and we were attacking first place. The girls just played great in the second round.”

Cranbrook-Kingswood led Spring Lake by six strokes after Friday’s opening round, but every player on the Lakers’ squad improved their second-round score to win with a 338-321—659. The Cranes finished 332-345—677. Defending champ Birmingham Detroit Country Day, which won it all last year on a fifth-player score tiebreaker over Cranbrook, took third ahead of Grosse Ile and Warren Regina.

Last year’s third place finish for Spring Lake, in which each player also improved from day one to day two, set the stage for 2014.

They said, ‘We’re going to win it next year.’ ” Bitner said. “They had that goal and it just makes me feel so good. They worked hard, they became range rats.”

Cordelia Chan of Cranbrook-Kingswood won her second consecutive medalist title.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure, but it wasn’t a bad pressure,” Chan said about repeating. “I think it helped me focus a lot more. I was just really consistent.”

By Tom Lang, special writer

Division 1: East Kentwood cruised to a 22-stroke win over Lake Orion at Bedford Valley in Battle Creek. Dearborn, Novi and Davison rounded out the top five. Sarah White of East Kentwood was the medalist with consecutive rounds of 73, finishing one shot ahead of Monroe’s Jaclyn Fanola, who shot a 71 Saturday. Dearborn’s Elayna Bowser and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek’s Lauren Ingle tied for third, two shots behind White.

Division 4: Kalamazoo Hackett won the team title at Grand Valley’s The Meadows, finishing 34 shots ahead of Harbor Springs. Macomb Lutheran North was third. Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox was the medalist with 159, one shot ahead of Farwell’s Bria Colosky.